Top 10 Uses for Bar Soap (Besides the Obvious)

10. Lubricant. Stuck drawers or windows? Rub a bar of soap on your drawer glides and the bottoms of the sides to ease sticky drawers. For windows, rub the soap on the sliding elements.

9. Deodorizer. Place a bar of your favorite soap inside your suitcase or your drawers to keep them smelling fresh. The same goes for your car; a bar of pleasingly scented soap might be just the thing after that new car smell has faded–or never was.

8. Repellant. Problem with rabbits and deer in the garden? Making soap sachets out of a particularly pungent soap–Irish Spring seems to work particularly well–will help protect your plants from marauders.

7. Artist medium. When we were kids, my sibs and I used to carve figures out of bar soap. When we–or Mom–grew tired of our creations, we used them to lather up in the tub. And don’t throw away the slivers the kids carve off the bar; sift them into a toe of a clean sock for more clean fun at bath time.

6. Lubricant Part 2. When faced with a particularly dense piece of wood, lube the tip of your screws in a bar of soap for easier penetration. You can lube your saw blades as well, for the same effect.

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5. Pin cushion. Wrap a bar of soap in a bit of cloth and use it as a pincushion. Again, the soap will act as a lubricant, making them easier to insert into fabric.

4. Pre-treater. Instead of spending a bunch of money on those spray pre-treaters, try bar soap instead. Simply wet it and rub in on the stain before washing.

3. Dirty fingernail prevention. Before you do your next gardening project, scrape your fingernails over a bar of soap. The resulting soap accumulation will keep dirt from getting under your fingernails and will wash away at clean up.

2. Soot prevention. If you’re planning a cook out using a cast iron pot, rub a bar of soap over the bottom of the pot before you set it over the open flame. The soap will make for easy cleanup, as the soap will prevent the soot from accumulating.

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CityGirl
on Aug 26, 2015:

I like all the suggestions except soap in your garden. Sprinklers and rain would disolve it in no time. Even Irish Spring isnt cheap enough to be replacing on a regular basis, plus Im not sure how good it would be for the soil over time.

Keri
on Aug 08, 2012:

Thanks for the tips, I pinned this so I will always have it around.

Susan
on Mar 17, 2012:

when i am hemming a dark pair of pants or jeans, I use the edge of the last bit of a bar of soap to mark the fabric. The soap leaves no residue and washes away in the next laundry load.

baconthecat
on Jul 18, 2007:

Ooo I love these things! "12 alternate uses for xxx item"! The only problem with them is that I never print the lists, and so my newfound knowledge is quickly forgotten... I'm going to have use tip #1 though! Bacon acquired fleas back in May, and there are still a few around... And they like to bite me, although my hubby is fatter (and therefore, juicier, right?), and they friggin itch like mad!! And then last week I got some super gnarly bites (I don't even know from WHAT), and when the swelling finally went down and it stopped being bright red, two separate pairs of bite marks appeared... like two small vampire bugs!!!